The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dr.  Govindjee, a professor  emeritus of biochemistry, biophysics,  and plant biology, has been selected to receive a 2008 LAS Alumni Achievement Award.   The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Alumni Association selects only a handful of individuals every year for the prestigious award.

Dr. Govindjee is being recognized for his past work on photosynthetic systems, as well as his current studies on the history of photosynthesis research.  He received his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1960 and has been with the university for over 40 years. 

The award will be presented to Dr. Govindjee during the school's homecoming weekend this fall. 

Phillip A. Newmark, a professor of cell and developmental biology, has been named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a private philanthropy that supports science education and biomedical researchers across the nation.

Over 1,000 applications were submitted and only 56 scientist were chosen for the award. The HHMI will  provided more than $600 million to support new research by these investigators during their first appointment.  

Professor Newmark has been a modern pioneer in regenerative research, helping make the planarian flatworm a model organism in the field. 

Story: University of Illinois Researches Named HHMI Investigators